Sherif
by ghilliedhu
Summary: An adult space/ western. Exploring the origins of each character and their relationships. captain Lightyear finds himself trapped in the past protecting a colony ship , but will he return ?
1. Chapter 1

RED

Red dust.

And it plumed from under a bay horse. It's hair, jet black as a crow's wings and a wild look in its eye. The horse shot over the desert like a bat out of hell itself.

His rider's Hair was tied into a long red braid and it whipped the woman back . By the graces of god her hat stood the blast of desert air that stung her face. Her Holstein chaps , her yellow men's shirt were all covered in red dirt. Her mouth a row of white gritted teeth as her eyes squinted forward determined to go even faster. People craned their necks and moved closer to windows to see the hell the redhead had risen as she thundered past shops on the town's main street.

Streets that had been quiet. It was a quiet town and the days and nights in this dusty part of the world seemed to bleed into one another. When riders came to town they did so slowly , softly and steadily to the beat of a walking horse's hooves.

The thunder that roared through town and ripped through the silence of weeks of heat and sand.

Like a dust devil the rider and horse came to town right to the sheriff's office.

"Sherif ! -"

A dry voice called out from the tiny woman's frame as she jumped seamlessly off the back of the frothing animal. Right from the leap she darted to the door wasting no time. She had a wild look in her eyes ; panic, loss , fear. She shouldered the door of the office open and it swung and clattered against the wall that held its hinges. The sheriff was a dark man with a full black mustache and eyebrows and no other hair to speak of. He stood up , upsetting his chair , hand twitched to the revolver at his hip but seeing the women's red braid he stopped a half second. No she was not there to put a lead bullet in him.

She wore no revolvers at her hips. Confused, he watched the woman waiting to see why she would come to his office, and bang down his door...His answer came immediately.

"Some's attacked my Pa! Come quickly our homestead is on fire!"

"Shit " The sheriff spat and grabbed his hat off the desk almost crushing it in his hand. He was shaking off a chill of fear, no there was no time for that. But his own father always said a wise man always had a bit of fear in him, it kept a man sharp.

The more curious towns folk shuffled closer to the jailhouse , to the crashing sound of a wooden door being forced open. A long thin line of black smoke was noticed on the background of deep blue sky far off in the horizon. Black smoke from a burning homestead.

sheriff

"Get the wagon !" Two bright hazel eyes shot up from a knot the young man was tying on a saddle.

"Woodrow!" The man's father started up the drive towards the stable where his son was working. The younger man wore bluegenes and a buckle on his belt. The older of the two wore a blue dress shirt and a dusty set of work pants. The man was tall and filled out , when he walked he did so with a limp.

Woody looked up and a trail of smoke to the north caught his eye. The young man suddenly felt sick and he just noticed the dryness of his lips as his mind detached from reality wondering who's farmhouse it was burning in front of him.

"Get the horses !"

"Yes Pa!" Woody snapped to and he grabbed the reins of the horse that was in front of him.

Working fast the young man worked with hands shaking from the sudden rush of adrenaline.

His father made it up to the carriage beside him two shotguns in his hands. He was counting the shells in his pockets.

"Who is it?" Woody licked his lips and he tried to calm his shallow breathing. Trouble this is trouble...

" It could be Fairadays, the Mckenzies ." Woodrow's dad placed the two shotguns in the footwell of the wagon . With a groan the older man grabbed the black dusty wagon in his hands and pulled himself up. Hands that had seen a life full of hard labor on a cattle farm. His eyes also hazel darted up the pillar of black smoke in the distance.

"Bandits?" Woody yelled over a horse at his father who now cradled a gun in his arm.

"Maybe" his father nodded but not looking away from the sky to the north.

"Damn it!"

"Its almost winter, it could be bandits…" The old cattle man picked a piece of skin from his lip with his tooth and spat at the red sands to his side.

" What about the Pomeroy's" Woody clicked the last strap on the other horse they owned to the harness and took up the reins taking his seat next to his father. Woody regretted even asking the question,suddenly felt very ill, and all his dad could offer was a worried shrug.

"We will see when we get there."

"YAH!" Woody yelled at the horses and they started with a jolt. The wagon gave a shrill yell of metal and creaking wood and it lept to motion. Woody's father nearly bounced off his seat by the force of the sudden speed.

"YAH, YAH!" The cowboy in the Holstein vest snapped. They Made a bead for the black smoke reaching for the heavens , riding in silence. To the benefit of father and son . Woody tried to keep his heart from beating out of his chest and his father almost bending the handlebars of the wagon out of worry he would bounce out.

The wagon wheels were almost jumping off the cart but the two men still carried on.

They made it up the drive of the farmstead of the McKenzie's. By that time other farmers had gathered and tried putting out the inferno with dirt and buckets of water.

The community had rallied and there were at least five men running around with buckets of water or shoveling sand. Woody pulled his handkerchief up over his nose to block some of the toxic fumes

The stink of fabrics and treated wood , tar from the roof on fire filled the air .

The family home, the cabin that once stood as a family home was now a pillar of dark smoke.

"What's going on here?" Matthew Pride roared from beside his son Woody, still holding onto the reins . He held the gun in his large meaty hands.

"Bandits! The horses are gone and I think the place has been robbed!"

"Where's the Mckenzies ?!" Matthew pulled up his own handkerchief giving a small cough.

"I dont know !"

"Shit." Woody's dad muttered and nodded with his head to his son to take the waggon somewhere out of the smoke so they could help. The large man sat back down and crossed his arms around his gun.

"Yah!" his son motioned the horses to get going again and the son and father dismounted , running to help their neighbours

"He's here!" A man who had jumped into the still smoldering cabin drenched in a heavy wet blanket came out dragging a body and a few farmers near him stopped their work to help.

They quickly picked the man up and took him a few meters away from the burning home. He was not terribly burned and his burns were only on his back.

"I found him face down." The man who had been under the blanket coughed.

They turned him around one man lifted his head up and listened to his chest, shaking his head 'No'.

"A'nt no beat i can hear of!"

"Look!" The man beside him pointed to the blood on the farmer's hands who was holding mr. Mackenze. The man reeled back in shock at the blood on his hands. "HE's bleedin!"

They looked him over to find an entrance wound in his back and an exit hole in his chest.

"Shit he's been shot in the back.." Matthew Pride took off his hat.

"Cold blood… wasn't even armed." Woody took off his hat too. There had been a murder.

The group gathered around the late Mr. Mackenzie did not hear the thunder of hooves over the rocky road approach. There, trailing behind her a large trail of dust going far too fast on her bay horse was the red headed daughter of the Mackenzie family.

They did not notice until a voice came calling behind them.

"PA! PA!" A small sweet voice, raspy from the dry air came closer to the group.

Woody felt sick he did not need to know who was coming up the road now, he could guess.

"PA! Did you find him?"

The shell of the home was all that was really left and though smoke still wafted up from the blackened home the fire was nearly out.

The sheriff was trailing a long way behind her and by the time she dismounted there were a few men and even a couple of women there to meet her by the road. But none of them wanted to be the first to talk. Woody walked up to her.

"Jessie is it ? Thank the heavens you're alive. Was it just you and your' pa here?"

In Front of Woody stood a small woman with a slim frame . She had freckles and emerald eyes , ones that could look right through him.

"Where's pa…" She was panting and shaking, her hands wrung the brim of her cowboy hat. Woody put out his hands as if to steady a rearing stallion at risk of getting out of control.

"WE think bandits came." A man near Woody nodded and chimed in , he had soot marks on his face.

"They looted the place." A few men nodded solemnly. One took off his hat and held it in both hands. Woody looked over to the crowd , he was a tall man and somehow people looked to him for leadership. Maybe it was his height or his honesty , but these times were the worst to be elected to do the hard work. The work that required him to be gentle.

"Jessie .." He put his hands down and came closer to the red head. "We found him yah.."

Tears started flowing down her pale skin.

"Tell me where he is ." Woody licked his dry lips cracking in the desert sun, his eye looked over to his father who took off his own hat. Men looked away from the small redhead , some shifted their weight from one foot to the next or looked over at one another. Woody also took off his own hat, and moved to the side.

There behind him a few yards was a man under a native woven blanket. A few men stood around the man on the ground laying perfectly still with their own hats off.

"No.." She whispered. Jessie could tell that was her dad under that blanket, he was still wearing his boots still.

Woody held her hand lightly at first and she threw her hand up to break his half hearted grip on her. But he reached out again.

"PA!No let go of me!"

But he could not do that, it would cause a scene if she went over there now in hysteria. They had pulled her father out of the fire all that was salvageable was the chain he had on. His cloths were half burned or blackened.

"Miss Jessie! Wait. Is this his?" She was trying to pull his hand from off of her thin arm and her eyes caught a bit of silver on a cheap chain in Woody's hand.

And she screamed

Jessie fell to the ground unable to get up.

"Ok that's enough , Woody put her in the wagon. She can't stay here." Matthew Pride shook his head and looked over to the sheriff. "Bout- time.."

The sheriff came forward.

"We will set out a reward for the bandits or anyone who can give us some information on where they went."

"Yah you better…"

"And just what is that suppose to mean Mr. Pride?"

"It means this young lady could have lost her life today, she done well near lost her whole family." Mr pride slunk closer to the Sheriff as to keep his voice out of earshot of Jessie who was being helped up into his family horse cart. "An you seem to be the last man here-"

The bald sheriff quickly got red in the face.

"And just what was i sup-pose to do ?" Woody's dad was almost nose to nose with him.

"Kill or catch them bandits , or ill see to it myself there will be a new lawman in town." and with a nod he turned from the sheriff and threw his hat back on his head before getting in the wagon beside his son.

"Take us home son." Woody nodded and they left the Mackenzie homestead , Jessie loaded in the back leaned up against a bail of hay.

She watched curled up in a blanket Woody had provided for her clutching the cheap necklace with the bit of silver at the end.

She watched as the image of her father under the blanket got smaller and smaller . she felt like crying but no tears came. She could not tell if this day was real. She just stayed quiet the entire trip back to the Pride family's farm.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is home Miss Jessie '' Matthew Pride was a tall man but he was not lanky like his son . Instead he was board and sturdy like an old oak tree. The waggon slowly made its way up the drive of a larger ranch house. It stood in the middle of large expanses of grazing fields for the many cattle the family owned. The house itself had multiple rooms and was rectangle shaped with its longest side facing the driveway. It had a slat wood roof painted white and the siding

was painted a dusty red. The home was dark now and the lamps were lit in the windows showing someone was awake.

Jessie's red worn eyes sleepily looked it over but she said nothing. Still wrapped in the blanket she had not said a word the entire trip.

Woody shifted uneasily in his seat and looked over his shoulder, Jessie's horse she rode in on was following the cart, he had done so without her giving him an order or even a word. **She certainly had a way with the critters** he thought.

"Stay as long as you like mis." Woody said in the dusky light of the end of the day sun.

He meant that too, she could stay as long as she liked as far as he was concerned. He knew his Pa felt similar.

"Thank you kindly." The men in the front of the waggon almost did not catch her soft little voice, but they were happy to hear it.

The waggon stopped at the front of the house and a young boy and an older man in a nice shirt came over to greet them.

"What happened?" A man even taller than Woody came over , he was thin with stark blond hair and teeth a bit too big for his face.

"We have a guest Rex. take care of the horses. " Mr Pride said getting off the waggon and taking the two shotguns with him as he approached the house.

"Sir?" The man in the nice shirt and posh accent addressed Woody's father. He was the Buttler of the property, someone Mr. Pride had hired on to the workers of the farm to help his late wife out. Since he had become a member of the pride family himself and was never released from his duties even after the woman of the house had passed away. The man looked nervous and spoke with a slight english accent anonciating his words overly, like a man of stature and good breeding would. He was looking for instruction with pleading eyes to Matthew ,Ed was a man who was easily unsettled living in these wild lands . his eyebrow raised , brown hair slicked back neatly though in truth it was quite wild and it needed constant retouching with a run over with a brush or with his hand. For if he let it it would stand end to end like a hedgehogs back.

"Ed-" Mr. Pride handed one of the guns to Edmond ,who took it as if he was handed a snake that could bite him. " -this is miss jessie Mackenzie. She's going to be staying here ...indefinitely."

"Oh!" Edmond looked over at the small woman in a bundle of blankets being helped out of the waggon by Rex and Woody. She looked frail and as if in shock. Her skin pale , even in the dim light of a setting sun. His heart melted for the poor thing and his eyebrows knitted into an expression of empathy. "i'll make her room up poor dove, does she have any things?" Mr. Pride rubbed the stubble on his face looking down and talking in a quieter tone. He shrugged one shoulder and shook his head 'no' .

"No Ed, i think her things have been burned up in the fire."

"The one we saw from here sir?" Edmond gasped and his eyes flickered to Matthiew Pride in a state of shock at this poor woman's misfortune.

"Yes, her father was murdered. The potatohead of a sheriff we have now is going to round up a possy but we will see how that goes." Mathew gave Edmond a look that told him he had no faith in the law of the town.

"Does she have a mother?" Mathew pinched the side of his mouth in a sad way as if to try not to say too much. It was pulling on his heart strings to think about the loss of a parental figure. That's something they both had shared , the loss of a mother.

'**I don't know what Woody would do if he lost me too'.** Mr Pride thought looking over at his son as he led Jessie closer to the house where she was met with Bullseye her horse. She stopped to pet him on his soft brown nose . The girl seemed lost in a dream , like she was not really there at all , her eyes looking off in the distance.

Mr Pride could only hope that someone would do the same for his boy; take him in need be.

"No-" He said finally.

Edmond whispered a little dramatic gasp.

" I think she has a brother somewhere though , they say he's off in the cavalry."

"Is he coming back?"

Mr Pride looked Ed dead in the eye.

"...Well you can rely on me, we will look after her. It's about time... this house needed a woman." Edmond said the last part softly. He had a friendship with the late , he was her right hand man. When she passed on he felt a bit misplaced. Jessie started up the stairs of the deck that encircled the entire property.

"Madam-" With grace Edmond greeded the young woman giving her an elegant bow and a flip of his hair as he reached out for her hand. Taking Jessie's hand Edmond helped her up the stairs taking her out of the arms of Rex and Woody as they flanked her protectively. Woody put his hands on his hips and gave a half smile at the upright behavior of the head of staff of the ranch. As if to say to the butler ' I could have handled that' . The very english mannerisms were a bit strange or misplaced in the nowhere town they lived in , where only the hotel had a full set of good china.

"Now now ," Edmond said soothingly as he pat Jessie's hand peternaly , he had it in the crook of his arm and patted it with his other free hand keeping her close. She nodded absently as if waking up from a dream. " We are going to look after you Miss, let me be the first to welcome you here, and I do hope you choose to stay. It's been a very long time since we had a lady stay here. Now don't be put off by the roguish state of this manner-" Edmond directed that comment to the cattle hand and two cowboys behind them. To that all three of the men present rolled their eyes.

The head butler of the house caught Matthews raised eyebrow and unimpressed look at Edmonds insistence of calling the farm house a 'manor', Something they had argued on on more then a few occasions. Edmond did not back down and puffed his chest out as they walked through the open front door out of the cool night air .

"I take care of this house young lady , me and the late Miss. Pride did. And I assure you she would have been very happy to have lady company here." He whispered "We needed it for some time now." Edmond looked down at Jessie and she blinked as she looked around her finally responding.

The room around her was ornate, there was a beautiful dark wood banister that led up to the upstairs rooms and to either side of the banister on the main floor was a large sitting room and an office area.

The butler brought her around the staircase on the left side through the sitting room , that included bookcases , tables , couches and a fireplace, to the kitchen.

"Thank you ...sir...Edmond?"

"Yes you may call me that Young Miss."

"I 'don want t' be a burden.." She looked at him with dew in her lashes.

"My child!" Edmond stopped her as soon as she let those words out of her mouth. '**How could she imply such a thing?'** He had his mouth open as if he was going to start a speech, to go on a long winded rant about the many ways she was wrong , but then looking at the lost look in her eyes, he stopped . Edmond pulled away, deciding on a softer approach. Holding both her hands in his " Miss Jessie, I can tell by your modesty that you are a woman of class. And a woman of class , has many friends who she can count on. You can count on us Miss. You are safe here now." Edmond held her hands in his own with confidence as he stood in front of her and gave her a little bow.

" OOH! And who is this little rock dove?!" a Woman in an apron pushed Ed away. She was a bigger woman with raven hair and dark amber skin. The head cook looked at Jessie up and down and she could tell in a second something wrong had happened.

"ED!" Miss. Cavendish almost shrieked and the butler winced." Is this the Mackenzie girl?

"Ye-" Edmond brushed his hair back as he answered but was cut off annoyingly. He pressed his lips together in an attempt to not say anything about the brassiness of the head cook.

"You don't have to tell me look at all that red hair!" The woman with sweet brown honey eyes embraced the small redhead. Jessie was still for a moment then she found herself hugging this woman back. "Hello miss i am Ms. Daisy ,the cook of this here homestead"

"Manor" Edmond corrected.

"Homestead-" The woman repeated herself razing her eyebrow at her friend.

"Poor thing" cooed to the young woman and petted her hair. Jessie let out a quiet sob. She had lost everything. "Dont worry miss, we are going to keep you. ED!" Edmond was in charge of the home as a whole but the heart of the home was the kitchen. So the real heart of the home would always be and that meant she could order the buttler around when she felt it suited her. "Stop your standin there like a tree and tell Trixie to fix a room."

"Hm, yes I was thinking the mistresses room would be best suited."

"Yes ," The chef looked up at her coworker in a sad, knowing way. They had both loved the woman of the house . the room had not been touched for years other than the daily dusting and tidying.

It was about time to let that room serve someone in need. If was alive today she would have happily given up her own room for this young woman. Edmond and Daisy Cavendish knew her well , they had been Miss. Prides best of friends from the time they were hired on, to her very end.

"Right away."

Edmond left the room calling for the servant girl. The three of them plus Rex were all the employees of the farm.

Woody , his dad ,and Rex were on the porch, looking inward to the large home, the door wide open to the night air. They saw Ed take Jessie to the back of the house where the kitchen was and she was no doubt being taken care of by the kind hearted cook.

Woody looked down at his hand , they were full of charcoal and blood. Instinctively he tried to wipe it off on the fabric of his pants. A man was walking up to the three men but all that was really noticeable was the man's lit cigar cherry swaying as he walked. Matthew Pride sat down on a porch swing with a groan , just realizing how stiff his muscles had become after the long ride home.

"Hello Slink." Mathew took off his hat, greeting the man coming to the light of the porch.

Slink was tall and lanky like Rex was. He wore a worn plaid shirt and a buckskin trapper coat. His hair was snow white and he let the stubble grow over his face. His mouth was largely hidden by a very full white moustache, and his eyes hidden under the brim of a beat up cowboy hat.

"Whats the damage?" The man they called Slink had grown up with Woody's dad and was his godfather.

"Not good." Woody said in a hush tone. Slink rested one leg up on the stairs to the house, smoking his cigar.

"Bandits?"

"I think so."

"Whats the sheriff going to do about it?" Rex stuttered looking uneasy about the news of bandits. Mathew scoffed, and Woody looked down at his boots kicking a rock into the driveway.

"You think our law is going t' do anything about it?"

"We should go- find them… round up a possy." The three men looked at Woody in shock.

"No." Woody's dad started.

"Why not Pa." Woody knew what was right and the fact Jessie would probably not see justice was something that was..not right. Woody was getting too old to be told "**things were just too dangerious**'especialy for a boy who craved justice.

There was a silence.

"We just left him there. In the dirt. And now that woman in there dosn't have a father. That's not right."

"Woody- hes bein taken to the coffin maker-" Mr. Pride started.

"I'm going to go to town tomorrow see if anyone knows anything."

"Woodrow…" Mathew was stern now clenching his fists. "It's more important looking after her right now. We don't know if it was even bandits or where they are now or how many. Or Why! If you go and make a fuss in town you're just going to get everyone rilled up. And after a week we wont be any closer to knowing what happene d on that farm then we do today. sometimes you have to do hard things in life boy, and sometimes the hardest thing is Not doing anything at all Sometimes its staying with those who need you. And that girl in there. She needs Somebody damit." He pointed towards the open door of the home with his hat in his hand keeping his eyes on woody. " We will talk to her again when she is calm, she's been through enough tonight let it go."

There was a long silence before Rex spoke up in a mousy voice unfitting his large stature.

"Well what's going to happen with her ?"

"Miss. Mackenzie?``Mathew put down his hat on the seat next to him on the porch swing. "I reckon she's staying with us."

Slink winked at Rex .

"Looks like you won't be the only stray around here, bean pole." Woody, Rex and Slink smiled warmly together.

" In the morning we can go to town. We can send a letter to the army , someone should send word to Jessie's brother, heard she had one. Shaun was it?"

"Yah he and that South boy left two years ago for the cavalry ." Rex had gone to school with Ian South.

Woody looked concerned over to Rex. " Have you heard word on where they could be?"

Rex shrugged . "oh gosh, i- i-dont know. D' ya think they are alright."

Matthew sighed and shook his head at his old friend Slink.

"What-a mess.." Slink licked his dry lips under his full white moustache and spit a bit of tobacco leaf into the dirt that had fallen away from his cigar. He breathed in a deep tug on his cigar and the smoke caught the lamp light in the dark as it swirled around his weathered face.

"Now now sweet little bird," after jessie wiped her eyes roughly on the native blanket. It was heavy but it wrapped around her entirely though it dragged on the floor around her feet. the cook sat her down on a bar stool that was at the island counter in the middle of the kitchen. "Im going to make you a lil' something, that'll fix your waggon up in two shakes of a lamb tail." the kind motherly woman went to the kettle on the stove right away and made a cup of hot tea and a shot of whiskey. "Drink up ah ah ah drink all of it now thats a good girl."

Jessie never tasted whiskey before and her instinct was to put down the cup but the cook, knowing better , gently tipped the mug up as to make sure the woman downed the whole liquid in one swoop. "Thats-agirl- now lets get you ready for bed you look fit to be -

"Whats going to happen to Pa?"

"They are going to look after him sweetie, do'nt you be thinking about that right now. You'll strain your little head. C'mon its off to bed with you little miss"


	3. Chapter 3

Woody put his hat on the hat rack near the kitchen door and mounted the stairs. He felt the tightness of the day's dust on his skin and his hands were fouled and rough feeling. He looked over at the kitchen door and edmond caught his eye and gave him a half smile. The mood was a solm one tonight . Woody mounted the steps with a cold knocking on the wood of the steps.

At the top of the steps the landing split into two directions, the first room was his mothers old room , and for the frist time in a long time a lamp was now lighting the room. Jessie was in there ..'**hopefully sleeping **' he thought. He stood there in front of her door. She was without her family and that was a painWoody knew only to well. He had taken this murder to heart. No there was no saving his own mother , he had been too small and unable to do anything. But now he was a man. He could do something ? couldn't he? The cowboy felt sick as he looked down to his hands in the dim light of the hallway. They were dirty and blood and dirt mixed into one another mapping out the lines in his palms. He closed his fist thinking about the law enforcement of the town. There was not a state of lawlessness , no, but Woody felt that the buck mostly felt short when it came to 'bandit murders'. His father was right ,the woman in that room needed him to have an even head. He would make sure she would have her justice.

Woody made his way to his own room at the end of the hallway. In it was a small thin bed that he just fit on, a few drawers and a washing basin. He took off his boots and groaned as he did so. He walked over to the basin. He had recently started to shave but it seems his hair was so fine on his face still stubble had not yet been a problem. He filled up the bowl that sat in front of a mirror , and plunged his hands into the room temperature water holding onto the bar of soap scrubbing furiously. The water turned black in the moonlight as it streamed through the whole of the room. Woody looked down at the dirty water and dried his hands off on his shirt catching his own eyes in the mirror.

Who was he? Was he like his dad? Steadfast and structured? Living out every day the same as the last? Or was he more like his mother? Wild and strong willed ? From the stories the household staff members had of her she was a spitfire. If she was still around she would be setting a fire under the law's behinds , she would not let this slide. Neither would he.

The next morning jessie woke up. It still all felt like a dream. She almost did not recognize where she was , she just sat up in her bed. She just watched the other end of the room. The sun moved in the sky as it trickled through the window. Her eyes looked at nothing and everything. She let her eyes wonder and she came in and out of thought.

Her door was open and so was her window. The door breathed open and close but jessie's eyes were unmoved. The blue eyes took in nothing from her surroundings.

Woody put on his cowhide vest and the sun streaking across the floor on the hallway in front of him drew his gaze. It followed the stream of light across the red wood of the to the opening in the door that breathed open and closed slightly. His mother's room. There in the room he saw the red headed girl sitting eyes open but still as if she was still asleep. His feet came to a rest beyond the threshold of the door. Woody bit his lip. She looked so lost. He struck out his hand and rapped on the door.

"Jessie?" But she did not respond.

Woody opened the door slightly , she was wearing a high collared dress shirt and her hair was disheveled but still in her braid. "Miss. jessie…'' Woody walked into her room and crossed the rug to her bed side. But he did not know what to say he just watched her as she sat both dead and alive. He felt sick for her , quietly he made his way to the rocking chair by her side and sat down in it. He rubbed his hands , they were clean but he could not shake the feeling that they were dirty.

Jessie's hands lay at her side and they looked made of stone . They were pale from the night air. He hesitantly took her hand and at first the woman did not move.

" Jessie its time for breakfast."

She looked over at Woody , well her head turned and they made eye contact , but she looked right through him.

"Did all of that really happen?" She wanted to know if the day before was just a dream. A horrible nightmare.

Woody breathed a heavy sigh and rubbed his hands on his felt like they were still covered in grime. He remembered the blood that he had to wash off his hands the night before. Her father's blood.

"Yah, miss." He put his hands together between his knees as if he was a school boy again being scolded by the teacher.

"Pa's gone?"

"Yah miss, i think they are sending out a possy today-"

"Uurgh!" She slung over the side of the bed , relieving her stomach of its contents. Woody stood up abruptly and the chair behind him rocked viciously. He put a hand on her and she looked back at him with tired eyes. Eyes that had no more tears to cry.

"Ill get better. I have to talk to Mr Pride." She assured him looking up from a chamberpot , now nearly full.

"Yes mam, he should be downstairs." She got up out of bed and pulled on her blue jeans that lay over the bedpost. The night gown was so long that no one would be able to see anything indecent.

"I'll be down in a second." Jessie faced the wall as she did up the buttons of her jeans , facing away from the cowboy in her room. She talked coldy as if her spirit had left her somehow. She moved slowly and acted as if he was not even in the room with her.

Woody nodded and made his exit knowing that was a hint for him to leave. But as he left he heard the red head call out to him.

"Thank you Mister."

Woody flew down the stairs and as he reached the kitchen he could hear Jessie coming down the same steps.

"How is she doin?" Daisy looked at Woody putting a large plate of beans and bacon in his hands and motioning to the kitchen table to sit down in. The rest of the staff and his father were already seated. On the weekends and when the farm did not have company the staff and the household members ate together.

" Not great, she got sick."

" I heard her cryin" Rex whispered. The butler looked at Rex with sad eyes as he took his own plate to the sink tub in the kitchen. " last night i-i mean…" Rex shrunk into himself catching a look from the head of the household.

Mr. Pride looked up from his book at Rex as if to tell him to keep quiet.

" Goodmorning." Jessie wore her clothes from yesterday, and she entered the doorway after Woody who now sat at the morning table. The house was quiet.

" Take a seat miss jessie." Mr Pride gave a smile and motioned at an empty chair. Miss Daisy set a meal out for her and Jessie awkwardly walked towards her place beside . She could feel all eyes were on her, and Edmond cleared his throat.

"So what of your brother, miss ?"

"Hes in the army." Jessie looked at the plate infront of her almost unsure of it, still a bit dazed from crying so much into the night.

"Ah , well we can send a letter to him today if you wish."

"Thank you sir.'' Jessie smiled up at the kind butler and he pat her shoulder sympathetically.

"You ready Boy?" Mr. Pride got up and put down his book. He was looking at Woody who was half way done with his meal.

"Um yah pa-" Woody wiped his face on the napkin that had sat over his knee and dusted his hands off on it.

Miss Daisy put her hands on her waist " Mathew he's a bean pole as is let him finish-"

"We are burning daylight , Rex get the carriage -" to which Rex jumped up and hurried out the back door to the stables. When Mr pride said something you did it quickly.

" He will be fine - hes a man now."

"Goodbye Miss Daisy, Miss Jessie have a nice day, if you need anything at all just ask miss Daisy she will take care of ya. " Woody gave the redhead at the table who had not yet had a bite of her breakfast, a nod.

Woody looked unimpressed his dad called him a boy and walked in long strides for the front door grabbing his hat off of the hat stand.

"Sir!" Jessie stood up but mr. Pride looked at her sorrowful shaking his head 'no'.

He was her host and so Jessie was conflicted about how she should act.

" We will be back this evening, take this day to rest."

Jessie's eyes went from to Miss Daisy who nodded in agreement with the head of the household , who was walking after Woody.

"Mister Pride ." Her voice stopped the click-clacking of his cowboy boots on the wooden floors. " my Pa's cattle." Jessie continued a bit stronger now.

Mr. Pride was astonished she would bring up something like this a day after her father's death.

"Is all me a'n m' brother have, i wan' t' strike a deal."

Jessie stood up and Mr. Pride looked down at this young woman with raised eyebrows, respect flowing into his heart for her. She put herself together faster then he would think any woman in town could, that is , other then the late . Maybe if they had a girl she would have been just like this young lady here. Tough.

"We have land, it falls on my brother now, but in his absence it's mine to look after." Jessie looked the cattleman dead in the eyes with her own tired ones. Ice blue eyes that had dark circles from crying into the night.

"We have land, lots of land, and water rights. We have more than enough water for you and our herd , they can winter together. It's just me now, I can lend you the land if you help the herd and feed my own."

"How big do you think my herd is?"

" I always went to the meat sales in town with my Pa.." she looked like she was going to be sick again, but she kept it together. " i can make a guess."

Mr. Pride was silent and looked over at Slink who was chuckling under his mustache but trying to hide it with his napkin. The grit from this misleadingly small and frail looking woman was admirable. Slink was no doubt laughing about the idea of a young woman bargaining with one of the largest cattlemen in the county and holding her own.

"Water rights huh?" Mr Pride put on his hat and nodded " It's been dry recently. Well i just bought a few head of them wild horses, and they need breaking."

Daisy smiled widely and grabbed Edmonds hand in anticipation. Slink got up from his spot and laughed, throwing down his own napkin at his empty plate.

"Welcome to the family miss." Slinks kind face , a mass of wrinkles over leather ,tanned by the sun and a clean and stark white moustache covering a broad smile. He walked over to Daisy kissing her head, still laughing " Thanks for the breakfast darlin' Comeon Matthew ! lets go !"

He slapped his old friend on the shoulder as they walked towards the open front door where Rex had the carriage waiting for them.

"Whew ! She strikes a mean deal!" Slink Laughed heartily. Matthew raised his eyebrows , shrugging his shoulders and tipping his head to one side as if to say. " she had me cornered!"

They all climbed into the waggon. Rex and Woody in the passenger bench facing the back of the waggon and back to back with the men driving. Slink rode shotgun and Mathew took up the reins.

"She's trouble" Mr. Pride said to Slink giving him a wink and lighting a cigar in his mouth.

"Just the kind of trouble we need around here." Slink belly laughed again as they pulled out of the driveway towards town to see the sheriff about a possy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Welcome to the family girl!" Daisy ran up to the small girl still standing at her spot at the table.

" I'm what?"

" Mr. pride always ha'd a funny way' o talking!"

"You mean lack thereof?" Edmond looked unimpressed over at the waggon leaving the driveway. Obviously annoyed at the theatrics of the master of the house.

"Oh hush, you eat your breakfast Miss ! You have work to do."

Still a bit dumbfounded that her plan had worked , Jessie blinked sleepily at the head cook as she gently pushed the red head back into her seat.

" Go on eat up" She heaved another spoonful of brown beans onto the plate in front of jessie. " -your' gonna need it little bird, haha! You have to go an see the horses after this"

" You have to go see the men after this."

Blue eyes scanned the large expanse in front of him as he looked up from the time at his wrist. He looked out at the wide expanse of unmapped wilds in front of him. He reminded himself of his daily tasks. The morning chores essentially. A man with blond short cut hair sipped some gritty coffee from an old mug. And he sighed walking towards where the military force kept their barracks. It was turning out to be a good day. Nothing had gone wrong so far. This whole journey was a boring one . In his line of work a boring job was the best kind. It was the kind of job where all of his men got to go home. But thus was the life of an army man.

He sipped on his breakfast. A single large coffee and made his way to the barracks. A Lot of his men were waiting for this long and boring journey to get back to their families. He rubbed his hand against itself, his thumb looking for the promise band that once sat there.

And what did he have to wait for when he got back home ? He drained the coffee and walked into the barracks with purpose , and pushed that thought out of his head. The men in front of him who had been resting in various positions got up and stood at attention in front of him, as he put his mug down on a nearby chair.

"Men. let's have at her today. Morning run . Formation."

To that they lined up as he had mentioned and he led them in a fast jog out of their sleeping quarters. They followed in neat rows keeping pace.

They had people to go home to. He needed to protect them and the settlers they protected. People with their own families. Beads of sweat formed on the military man's face, his icy blue eyes kept on the path ahead of him. It was still early there would be no settlers coming out of their own sleeping quarters for some time. So now was the perfect time to keep his men fit. Mostly with marches and runs. They had to be prepared for anything. Sometimes bandits were on the roads to the new settlements. They would prey upon the undefended settlers.

" Had a good night Captan?" one of the men behind him yelled up at him.

"I did Smith." He used the man's last name. He liked to go by the book. He was a man of protocol , something they drilled into him when he attended the academy.

"Very good sir! Happy to be almost done with this ? You know we are almost at the settlement!"

"Yes Smith I am well aware of that." He could hear the men behind him wheezing in the air as he kept an upright jog.

"Happy to go home sir?"

"What's got you in a rush to get back?" the Blond said nonchalantly. The lieutenant laughed at the Captan's remark.

"Yah, I have some drinking to catch up on !"

" Not happy with the limited two dinks a night you get here ?"

"I would be fine with it if it wasn't the ones regulated by the mess! I need something a bit stronger and a little less watered down !"

"Amen to that!" A sergeant remarked.

"That and I think the miss's misses me you know captan."

" Well we will get you back there soon enough."

" You'll be BACK THERE alight." And the men who had the breath for it laughed.

"That's the plan!" The lieutenant laughed heartily. But the captain did not laugh, he felt distant from the men behind him.

There was a screeching of sirens and flashing of lights. The men running in the hallways of the large colony ship stopped.

"Sir?"

Lightyears wrist com when off with flashing lights and incoming calls. He skidded to a stop glancing at his arm reading the jist of what was happening over a small running line of text displayed on a screen.

"To the ships men!" Lightyear "Knees to Chest Girls , we got a bogie." Just like that, Captain Buzz Lightyear changed directions down a hallway 90 degrees from the one they were currently traveling. This time he was running and the sound of boots behind him made him smile. This was the reason he was here and the reason he did not want to return. He was best suited for life out on the wild lands, doing what he did best. Fighting, Protecting.

It did not matter that his men were not in their regs , that is to say their regular uniforms. They would be on their own ships , their flight suits and an extra flight suit was already waiting for them in the hanger. They were not far at all.

"This is Capt. Lightyear !" Buzz yelled into his com at his wrist, yelling to account for the warning lights that told everyone to stay in their rooms. " Is Captain Ali at his station? And Give me what you got -"

"Captain Ali is at his post Captain Lightyear , there are several bogies inbound , they have ignored protocol and can not be reached by com. '' A metallic feminie voice said calmly into his ear via a hearing device. " -there is a 70% chance their intent is malicious.``

"What would i do without you Jessie?"

"I will take that as a jest sir. As you are qualified to fly C class to F class spacecraft unassisted." The female voice of the A.I. cooed. " Your ships are being prepped and will be ready within the minute." Lightyear could hear the charging of many star-engines , the 'wurring ' could be heard under the alarms going off . The men ran into the hanger and split into teams of two getting into their flight gear. Suits that tightened airtight when put on correctly , Captain Lightyear was the only one without a partner but nonetheless all the men were ready in moments. Each

Lightlear fanned his fingers over the controls after he fitted himself into the four point harness.

"Are you ready Jessie? "

"All systems are a go."

" Ok men Falkon pattern-" There was a slight rocking of the ship , the unidentified ships were attacking the forcefield of the colony yacht "GO -GO- GO!" Buzz hissed into his com as he pressed the 'close' button on his helmet. It sealed it with a hiss.

"Only a 70% chance huh Jessie?" Buzz scoffed as he pulled back on the throttle of the ship taking the driving apparatus in his hands firmly. The widening hanger showing the stars and galaxies in front of his company's ships widened as if to eat them whole. "Jessie hit it."

"Yes Captain."

The ships shuttled off at a breakneck speed in a double V pattern.

"Here we go."

There were several ships passing over the large settler colony ship. They fired at it trying desperately to weaken a part of the forcefield. Captain Ali was already at the gun stations and trails of bolts streaking after the much faster dodging ships. They were not all of the same type and they had been retrofitted parts.

"I think we have choppers on our hands, men , Teams of 3 , Falkon pattern. Fire on my command, have them locked and cocked boys." With that all the pilots flying in the double V that was behind Lightyear, split up into smaller V's . Each one trailing after a single Chopper ship.

"Patch me into their feed Jessie"

"Will do captain..." There was a moment of static before the soft voice of the AI came back on the air.

"You are in ."

" This is Captain Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger of Star Command you are attacking a Civilian StarShip with Multiple Settlers on board you will desist and disperse or you will face -" the ship in front of him started flying closer to the settler Yacht and fired ,damaging the forcefield in the general area of the blast. Buzz pressed his lips together hard when faced with such blatant disrespect. He pressed a key on his desk that disconnected him from the Scrapper feed and opened up communications to the rest of his men.

"Open them up."

Streaks of bolter fire erupted and danced among the stars. The Scrapper ships took arcs trying to shake the Star command pilots on their tails . In space there was no real concept of up or down , just a whirling display of fixed stars . The crew of the Starship was gearing up for a jump. A full throttle blast forward to try to get away from the metal bees swarming the ship. But first Buzz's crew had to shake these thieves loose. Or at least get them to a safe enough distance for the ship to jump.

Scrappers were men and beings from all walks of the galaxy who were down on their luck or just generally no good thieves. They usually picked on the others who were less equipped. Today was not their lucky day.

Even though the scrapper ships were few they were fast.

"Captain- i did a scan of the ship in front of us" The AI chimed in as Captain Lightyear drew onto a swerving scraper ship as his lock target box on his screen temporarily turned green marking a locked location that enabled him to fire.

"What is it"

" It looks like they have modified their ships"

"Mhm" the information was redundant but Buzz was not typically rude to anyone even if it was Artificial intelligence.

" They have increased speed with a celest engine, it's highly volatile also makes the ships hard to turn."

Buzz smiled and stopped trying to lock onto the target .

"Find the trajectory of the Scrapper' ship 4-SP'"

"Yes captain" The AI pulled up on another screen beside the one Buzz was focused on. It showed a bit more of the galaxy that included the image of the scrapper ship in front of him. The onboard computer calculated a long arching line in yellow from the tip of the 'scrapper ship marked '4-SP'. Buzz aimed for the line and kept his thumbs down on the button to fire. Warning lights tunred on in the cockpit, as fighters were not allowed to fire unless there was a lock on a ship.

The wing of the scrapper ship took some damage and it wobbled seeming to lose some acrobatic function.

"Got him- Patch me into the others Jessie i need all com's for the unit"

"Good shot captain,-" Jessie chimed in.

" I know.. "

" Your patched in -"

" All Units - I give you permission for override on your ships for the function' lock onto target' , shoot for the trajectory of the Scrappers, Call Captain Ali-"

"Yes captain-" Jessie cooed ,

"Hello this is Captain Lightyear to Captain Ali-" Buzz could hear the alarms going off faintly in the background as he was waiting for a reply from Captain Ali. There was the noise of the men and women in the Bridge of the ship yelling orders and every now and then he could hear a soft 'boom' of a scrapper shooting at the civilian ship's shielding system.

"Captain Ali to Captain Slowpoke , you know disabling the targeting system is going to land you a lot of paperwork right?"

Buzz smiled and held down the button to shoot at the same scraper in front of him just missing as he aimed for the trajectory yellow line as before.

"Its ok i will have company- you're going to have to do the same only way top catch these-"

Boom-

Buzz looked away from the screen to the sub screens around him.

"What on Ioa Was that ?!" he was getting dead air from Ali's com. "Jessie?"

Buzz stole a glance over at the Civilian ship and its force field twinkled , it was damaged. Whatever it was that was a major cannon blast.

"Yacht level cannon Captain."

"Where?!"

"I'm having trouble finding that out sir there is an asteroid system not far off -wait im picking up a heat signature-"

"We are going to follow it- get me sargeant- Yuo" Buzz heard a comlink 'ding' in his helmet to tell him he was linked in.

"Sargent Yuo over-"

"Take over for me i'm going to find the Freken scraper Yacht take someone with you i got him on the ropes. The left wing is damaged."

"Yes sir, OandO." Sargent Yuo used the short form of Over and out and disconnected his signal. on the radar like screen at Captain Lightyears wrist he could see two of his crew ships coming inbound and he peeled off the scrapper he was shooting at.

"Where was that heat Signature?!" Buzz gritted his teeth as a green small light flashed in his helmet.

"Incoming call from Captain Ali" Jessie said - sounding a bit worried , if AI could get worried. The Ai were programmed to be more relatable in the newer updates and human emotion was still being tested out on the military models.

"Come in-"

"WE just got rocked-'' There were more alarms going off now in the background. There must be a Zoo happening over there now. "I don't think we can take a few more hits like that. WE cant jump yet the Scrappers are far too close. "

"I'm going out to give them a bit of their own medicine, i picked up on the heat signature of a large vessel,"

" Frek- they are not alone are they? Figured as much."

" Tell me Ali can you get my location?"

"Yah sure " Ali was a tall man and he knelt over the control panel in front of him gripping onto the side of it to steady himself as the ship shuttered now and then. Red and green lights flashed over his skin as his eyes looked for Captain Lightyear's ship on the screen in front of him. His eyes caught a moving triangle in blue.

"Prep the cannon, i can't get a bead on this scrapper ship, its hiding out in the asteroid belt here-"

"Buzz-"

"I need you to fire on my location just give me a few moments to get out of the way-"

"Damit buzz!"

"Can't call rank on me today-"

"I'm going to get court martialed if i miss!"

"Then dont- Ali you got this, try no to singe my ass when i make my way out of there."

"Got it - when you are ready"Jessie chimed in.

"Got to go OandO Godspeed Ali" Buzz put the covers back on his steering equipment that protected the buttons used for firing. He switched the power from his ship to reroute itself to the thrusters .

"Set Course Jessie"

"Yes captain… do be careful."

" Jessie i have to be someone's got to look after you-"

Buzz let out a sharp breath and then he pushed his thrusters all the way forward the G's almost taking his breath away. He swerved left and right as he avoided asteroids in the belt he pointed the nose of his ship at.

"Where are you where are you.." then he saw it. A large metal ship painted a dull grey caught the light of the nearest Sun. it landed on a large asteroid and was for the most part invisible to on ship computer systems. "Smart bastards- ok here we go -come in Captain Ali-" Buzz tapped the callback button on his helmet that was just at his wrist com controller.

"Captain Ali-"

" get ready.."

Buzz dove and dogged slow moving rocks as big as Cities on his own planet back home. He would need to damage the ship.

"Captain- we have company…" a few Scrappers who had been left behind to guard their own ship were starting to make their way to Buzz.

"Do they have a lock?"

" not yet captain . '' Jessie whispered. Buzz was rocking and being shaken in his seat as he dipped and ducked under flying space rocks . i'm almost there.

"ALI NOW NOW NOW." Buzz was right in between the Scrapper ship and the Civilian Laugh . If they shot on his location they would take out the Scrappers engines. Buzz looked down wildy at his screams as they flashed red, One of the scrappers had a bead on him and was inbound. In the distance Captain Buzz lightyear could see a light starting to glow from the left of his cockpit window. CAptain Ali had fired, now to get out of there. Buzz had aligned himself with the Engine of the Scrapper Yacht ship. If the Cannon hit , the SCrappers would be out of this fight. The Blast from the Civilian ship was getting brighter and Buzz pushed his thrusts all the way almost bending the equipment's metal.

The ship thrusted all it had.

"Jessie, all power to the thrusters!"

"We are in the line of fire!'' Jessie wailed as the lights dimmed in the cockpit . the electronics were flickering and the scrapper that had been on his tail disappeared in a beam of light. He had been completely evaporated by the cannon blast. Even with the glass of the Starship he was flying activated 'sun star level protection' that dimmed the glass to its maximum light protection. Buzz was still blinded . The electronics on board were singing their own unharmonious seperate songs of warnings.

There was an explosion behind him, he could see it in the rear camera.

"BUZZ! COME IN" Ali had force patched into his com.

"Yah im fin-" Breathed Buzz , but he stopped.

The ship behind them had stopped exploding, that is today the blast and the light had stopped moving outward. The lights on board flickered. He noticed that on Buzz's radair like Screen the asteroids around him broke trajectory.. They were moving towards the scrapper ship.

"JESSIEE!"

"Running diagnostics now!"

"Buzz there is a Black hole warning near you! What's happening?!" Ali screamed into his ear.

"The hostiles must have used a small star to power their ship- the cannon blast must have triggered a inward collapse-" Jessie's voice became staticy.

"Shit shit shit.." Buzz pushed his throttles as fast as he could but he seemed to be flying slower. The light behind him got darker and darker.

The coms on board went dark, his control pad turned off, his screen was black, dead. He felt the slow pull backwards -

"Jessie?" all the alarms had been turned off. It was silent now.

"Y-yes c-ptan" she was coming in patchy, Buzz felt the sweat on his brow run down his face then bead in front of him. The Gravity onboard was off; he was running on life support now.

" Black Box protocall." Captain Lightyear felt sick.

"Y-s Cptaain" Jesse's voice was glitchy and morphed.

There was a red beating button that pulced at his arm showing that he was being recorded.

"This is Captain Lightyear of Star command" Buzz did not know what to do with his hands , he was trapped in his own coffin.

" -it was a pleasure serving with you ," He was addressing the crew he had served with. " -i hope that my superiors know what i did was based on my own assessment of the situation and none of the responsibility should be placed on Captain Ali's shoulders."

By some miracle the recording was being transmitted, Buzz must have been just far enough away from the implosion. Ali had seen the 'black box emergency feed and pressed on the blinking light on his screen back in the Bridge. The Scrappers had abandoned their posts and disappeared into the blackness of space. all was quiet onboard the Civilian Yacht and the patch of the Black box Recording was switched to the main screen ondeck. Those who were in the Bridge looked up to the main window panel where the image of Captain lightyear's helmet cam caught his words . his face being illuminated by a distant star all electronics on the ship seem to have failed.

"Can we get a Pull on his ship?!" Captain Ali barked at a man by his side with a large headset onn. The man tapped wildy at his personal computer but shook his head at his commanding CAptain. "Sir there are too many asteroids in the way and we are too far-"

"DAMIT." Captain Ali slammed his fists so hard down on his control panel the man beside him was worried that he could have damaged it.

"-Captain Ali don't blame yourself. Take care of my boys for me." Buzz's eyes went awkwardly to the left and then he addressed the camera again. "Tell my ex wife to understand that... i could not do it. My home was out here on the outskirts ,it's hard to understand for her but i just was not meant for planet life. I tried hard to get used to all that gravity , ( he chuckled) but I was happiest with all of you , my crew. " A Female crew member started to stifle a sob and Ali noticed out of the corner of his eye, a member of Captain Lightyears crew who did not make it to his ship for the battle was saluting and sniffling. The signal started to come in and out , and Ali tried to tap on his controls to get a better connection to Buzz to no avail. He let himself into a straight standing position, his fists white as he clutched them to his side. "Thank you for being by my side-"

"We lost him." the Sergeant by Captain Ali's side , with the large headset tapped on his controls ...and shook his head.

The com cut out completely , and the dark screen made the bridge seem like it too had lost power. The room was silent and Ali joined the crew member behind him in salute . the whole bridge did, standing tall and watching the Black screen.

The green transmitting button flashes red. He was alone.

"Jessie."

"Yz Captain ?" She was still somewhat operational but it seemed like some magnetic field was affecting her.

"Looks like its just you and me girl."

"I'm So-ry C'ptan" She was audible for the most part.

"Jessie nothing to be sorry about. We Did our best."

"What happens to us now captain ?" Buzz felt the pull now . like he was being pressed into his captain seat the stars around him streaked white outside of his windows, he was inside the black hole now-

"Whevr happens captain Ill protec- you-" Buzz smiled to her patcy voice.

And that was the last thing Buzz could remember.


	5. Chapter 5

Woody bobbed up and down in the spring leaf bench seat of the waggon.

"Think she is going to be ok?" Rex looked worried at Woody.

"I mean she's got us now." Woody shrugged. "WE will send word out to the army today send word to her brother."

All four men rolled into town. And the waggon came to a slow stop outside of the town bank. The town was a small one there was only a group of houses now converted into store fronts on a corner street. This included one bank , one saloon , one barber/doctor/ bath house , one hotel and one general store. There was a small shed and viewing area with corals that served as a meat market and general auction place. And then there was a small platform next to a railway track. The train came twice a week , sometimes not stopping just picking up and unloading a sack of mail on its way to other towns not even bothering to slow down.

Woody got out of the waggon.

"ME and Rex will go to the general store and send a letter…"

"Yep." Slink tipped his hat as he nodded and the two old friends pushed the horses and the waggon moved in the direction of the sheriff's office.

Rex whistled nervously

"I'd hate to be in that room ." looking over at the visibly pissed off mr. Pride as he got out of the waggon and went into the sheriff's office. The front of the building was painted with a sign "Sherif" with one 'F' and was never fixed.

"Woody you think the boys are ok?"

"Rex its war what can i tell you?"

"You can tell me it's going to be ok." Rex opened the door of the general store and a bell jingled.

"Is your comfort really worth lying to you about?" Woody entered the store that was overly cluttered with goods. Rex followed looking over some glass bottles of medicinal tonics.

"Yes,yes it is! you know my stomach can't handle excitement. I just An't built for it."

Woody put his hands on his hips and looked over at Rex.

"An who is going to cover me when i'm in a gunfight?" Rex almost dropped the bottle of tonic he was holding.

"Gun fight?" He Turned pale and Woody shook his head. '**Poor Rex'** he thought, '**someone was going to have to look out for him' .** Some people were not cut out for adventure. Rex was like a younger brother to Woody and that would never change. Woody always felt a strong desire to protect the scrawny boy even though he towered over woody.

"Gentlemen can I help you?" The shop clerk raised an eyebrow at Rex who put his bottle back nervously and walked away from the counter to look elsewhere.

"Yeah i'd like to buy some flour, cake yeast. Some sugar . I also want to send a letter to the yankee army."

"Coming right up sir." The clerk started getting the items Woody had listed off and packing them in a large burlap sack. He placed a paper and a pen next to the register for him to write his letter on. Woody had been taught how to read by his mother.

Woody fingered through his coins and bills that his Pa lent him. He arranged the money on a wooden counter next to the register. Then he borrowed the pen and a paper laying beside his money.

" You boys said you are looking to contact the Lincoln army?"

A man with a very full white beard piped up.

"Y-yah it's about the Mackenzie boy." Rex put his hands in his pockets.

The miner shook his head, he was a traveler and this was one of the many towns he visited as he zig-zagged the landscape on his search for gold.

"He-heh i don'T know hoot about a Makenzie feller but I tell ya boy-o that's a rotten horse t' bet on" The old man was chewing on a large bit of mouth tobacco. "Yes-sir-e" This old miner seemed like he was used to talking to himself and just liked the sound of his own voice.

"Yah?" Woody looked over a table filled with cloth for womens dresses to the old man who was packing up his own burlap sack of goods he had just paid for.

"Yesss sir ! " The old man looked up at him. " Ijust came from Dogs Leg, and they were talking about a bunch of men just up an got themselves half dun in from a battle way out east. Boys from this area shot t'ribbons what's i heard . They still don't know how many of those boys got themselves shot up. Lot o them missin you know or just dyin from bein hurt. I just stay out of it. Just keep t' myself you know."

"Men from around here?" Rex said in a mousy voice.

"Thats what the folk in Dogs Leg was-a sayin anyhow gona be'leavin now. Got a long way up to m'land i just got up there in the hills. Just me and seven."

"Seven? "

"Thats m' mules name 'lucky number seven' acount of be-in the Sevinth mule i ever owned. Well ill b' seein yah. "

Woody raised his hand to say goodbye. The round prospector slung his goods over his shoulder and wobbled out the door.

Woody looked at Rex who was nibbling his nails nervously and gave him a shrug.

"Yah we will be sending that letter…" Woody said to the clerk but was more so comforting Rex.

**She would be alone then, we could be all she's got. **

They sent the letter out and Exited the store. The cowboy held the ranch hand by the elbow.

"Do me a favor Rex-"

"Yah Woody?"

"Don't let this get out." Woody put his hand down and fiddled with the brim of his hat.

"What?" Rex looked worried " Don't let what out?"

"Don't repeat what the Prospector said. To anyone especially Jessie."

"Y-yes Woody, but why?" Rex wrung his hands together.

"She's got enough to worry about you know."

"Oh." Realization spread across Rex's long and fair face. His hair was very short on the sided but longer on the top and his almost pure white hair got in his eyes. " she may think its her brother, or that South boy who's been injured"

Woody looked over at Rex with crossed eyebrows as if that should have been obvious.

" have you been raised in a barn?"

Rex winked and tapped his nose with his finger.

"Only half of my life." He giggled at his own joke. "Whewwwwie look at the crowd , looks like a potluck or a dance hall." The boys scanned their eyes over at the Sheriff's office.

There was a group of men already outside the jailhouse and Slink made their way into the cramped office and jail area of the building.

"Whats going on here?" Mr. Pride made his way to the wall of men circling the sheriffs desk.

"Ah you're just in time Matthew we are all wondering the same thing- what's going on, as in what's going to happen? Seems like we are waiting on some sort of plan here."

"What are we waiting for anyhow ? instructions in the damn mail?" A man who was dusty from early morning farm chores was crossing his arms, impatient. "We all want to know what is to be done about this -"

"-Catastrophe is what it is." An older woman in a grey dress and white color interrupting. She had a notepad in her hand and ran a makeshift town informational letter , a newspaper of sorts in town. " She looked sidelong towards Matthew and Slink her nose high in the air balancing a pair of very thick glasses. "She is staying with you, is she not? The Macenzie woman that is , how is she doing?"

Matthew blinked his eyes at the town gossip. He was not going to answer any question that woman had for him.

Slink on the other hand winked at the widowed woman.

"She's bein taken care of , not in any condition to chat though mind you."

Miss Biclair adjusted her glasses, it seemed like there was nothing in the town that she did not see or hear of. She blushed at the wink , she had been widowed for sometime and Slink liked to ruffle the feathers of the older widowed women.

" now now now." Sheriff Frank Robertson put his hands up trying to quiet down the small crowd . That is to say ' small ' would be the word if this crowd was in any other County. But the people who gathered here made up for a large part of the Town called Pinebox . Not many people were missing even the Fairday's were there, a mormon family that lived near the Macenzie homestead. "I already sent out a telegraph to the nearest town see if a marshal can come by-"

"Yah and do what? He may not come for a week or so and whatever tracks are on that property will be gone by then-" Farmer

"Yah lets round up some horses and follow them!" A few of the men Agreed.

"Are you out of your skulls ? all we know is there could be more of them -"

" But we only saw one set of hoof tracks -" Farmer Billy sneared.

"Don't matter at all ! they could have met up with a bigger gang." The Sheriff retorted. He had a point , the young men who could be deputised were few after the call to arms from lincoln. If they were met with trouble the losses could be too many with the too few people they had left in town.

"Bahhh! " Farmer Billy threw his hands down in a dismissive nature. Sheriff Robertson patted his moustache down and rubbed his chin that was as bald as his head.

" I sent out the telegraph , they Should be sending someone soon, maybe even on this train."

Just then there was a whistling outside. The sheriff smiled nervously and the people in his office looked at one another before turning to leave. To their surprise there was a train coming this morning, and one that was not scheduled. The sheriff could be right and they started to shuffle out of the building, curious to see who could be on it. Frank felt he was holding in his breath the entire time and let himself exhale deeply. Then he caught the eye of Matthew Pride who did not leave with the rest of the crowd .

"What happens next Frank?"

"W-well we are going to see if the marshal is on that train , maybe we can call the military -"

"It could happen again , whatever that murderer got out of killing let's hope he doesn't come looking for it on anyone else's property."

"It just an't right Frank-" Slink took the stub of the cigar out of his mouth. " if this was just a few years ago-"

"Yah but it an't" The sheriff bit back.

"-We would have been riding , all three of us." Slink continued ignoring that he was just cut off.

"Well this A'nt those times. Look at us." The sheriff pointed to the men with his hat.

"Hah!" Matthew shook his head . "if you want to get something done right-" He mumbled under his breath as he left the room following the people who were making their way to the platform beside the train tracks.

"What did you just say Matthew?"

"Look at us , Frank? Look at you." Slink lit his Cigar and puffed a big cloud of smoke at the Bald man behind the desk before he left behind Matthew Pride.

The screeching of the train , and the sound of the whistling was loud. So loud they people of the town could not rightfully distinguish from the nose of the train and the booming sound . The overcast day had contributed something other than giving the people of the town a well needed break from the blaring sun. the clouds hid a small vesile entering the atmosphere . It went largely unnoticed hitting the ground somewhere in the desert.

All that was important to the townspeople of Pinebox at that time was the loud , smelly , surprise train stopping at their platform.

"Look a train is coming!" Rex patted Woody on the chest with a soft tap of the back of his hand.

But Woody was not looking there. He was watching the Fairday family.

There beside the Families patriarch was a woman in a pink petticoat. With blue eyes and blond hair neatly tucked under a bonnet. Rex was chatting about something , as he was very interested in trains. But Woody was a bit lost watching the form of a woman , the most beautiful woman he ever put his eyes on. She walked out to the platform and turned her head to the Boy who was watching her.

Woody froze, as she looked at him for a moment before continuing on her way.


	6. Chapter 6

Jessie did not eat as much as she should have. She was not feeling right , everything still felt foggy. To the great disapproval of the Head cook the red head managed to slip away from the table without finishing her meal.

Bullseye whinnied. Jessie looked up in the direction of the barns. There the stallion was, his head hanging out of the stall. She smiled.

"Oh buddy , i didn't forget you." She walked up slowly as her horse looked at her anxiously. "Shhh, its going to be ok darlin' ." she was unsure if she was talking to herself or the horse.

"We are going to meet some new friends today , how about that? Are you up for a ride?"

The horse shook his head as she pet him on his soft nose.

"Yah you had a pretty exciting day yesterday." Tears welled up in her eyes but she was determined not to cry anymore.

"Fastest hoves this side of the canyon." The Stallion huffed at the woman. "Ok ok, in the whole west." She sniffled ."Come On."

Looking around the stall she saw her horse had already been fed. There was ample amount of food and minerals, even a water bucket.

"Look at you - spoiled rotten."

Jessie smiled, laughed and took the horse out of the stall by a lead. She tied him up, brushed him down and put on his saddle pad then lastly a western saddle.

Syncing his belly strap tight she nodded at her work , " Lets ride. You goin' to help me find these horses?"

They galloped over one of the Prides fields. The long expanses of fenced off grazing land. All she had to do now was find the herd of wild horses and bring them in.

"Do you know where they are?" She yelled through the gusting wind at Bullseye. But it was a fleeting attempt at trying to get her head on straight.

Just then she spotted something on the ridge. '**That could be them .' **

"Lets go Bullseye- yhaw!" They were off towards the dark figures on the next sloping hill with renewed speed. The landscape was dim from the overcast. The winds were fluctuating from north to northeast.

Jessie let the reigns go leaving lots of slack. Bullseye knew these hills better than she did or anyone ever could. He had been a wild mustang before he chose to stay with her. Jessie never broke him, in a sense. No,there was a mutual understanding and respect between horse and rider.

Jessie saw Bullseyeas a family member, and the stallion saw her as a member of his pack.

They chose each other and that was something not many riders could fathom , it's what they had over every other rider in their state.

There was a group of horses on the hill and all of which had the brands of the Pride family burned on their hides.

"Look at that -" The Red head often talked to the horse as if he was fully able to talk to her right back. "There they are, why dont we play a little tag ?" Bullseye snorted in approval and she let his reign go. Just like that the horse flattened out his neck and descended down the hill just to the left of the group of grazing horses. They went down into the lowlands and started to hook over to where the horses were now looking into the Direction of Bullseye. The horses made a start , back to the right of Jessie trying to get away from them. Just as she planned , Bullseye was spooking them so they started to move towards the corral back at the Pride Homestead.

This was exactly what she needed. Time spent on the back of her horse renewed her spirits even if it was just for a moment. Heaven was a continuous ride. She could do this forever, the feeling of the wind whipping her braid , the moist air of the overcast day cooling her skin as she rode on. The horses in front of her kicked up small trails of dust themselves , Jessie had to pull back on her own horse as he wanted to outrun the pack of horses ahead of them.

"Let's take them home Bullseye!" The cowgirl Barked over the wind. When she was working she was not thinking about her heart and how it burned and how she wanted to burst into bitter weeping. She was her happiest when she was moving forward, making progress. Jessie allowed herself a half smile watching the fleeting horses some 40 head weaving the desert landscape , in that moment she let her heart rest from its heartache.

…..

His eyes stayed closed.

He could feel himself breathing. The half sleeping man took this in. breath in , breath out . his chest slowly sucking in air. It was comforting , maybe invoking some primal memory of life inside the womb. He sensed a feeling of safety and feeling tired he slipped back in and out of sleep. Once or twice his eyes fluttered to the light. But then he fell back into a dream.

"Lyra?"

He was home. Well the address that was on his medical records that is to say. The room was styled in a modern minimalist fashion. She was sitting at the kitchen counter.

"You got what you wanted."

**No this was a memory? Was it? ** The clean cut captain in regular clothes looked up at his wife.

"What do you-" He started.

There in front of her were papers, signed. She had been crying at some point but now she was distant. Her eyes met his.

"You got what you wanted , time away. What about this made you want to run? I thought you wanted this… do you even know what you want?"

The Captain looked at Lyra not saying a word. He had loved her once , he was happy , once.

"HELP! COME IN COME IN-" A man's voice shook the quiet of the home and the military man looked behind him. There were men scattered over the bridge of a starship. Buzz felt the hair prickle on his back. One of the lieutenants was reaching out to him. The brigde looked like it had gotten rocked hard by a blast and the motion of said blast had rocketed whomever wasnt anchored down across the room , some had slammed against the glass of the observation deck. Others caught a control panel the wrong way and had sustained gashes as well as broken bones.

"Captain we NEED YOU-" The man on the bridge was sweating , terror in his eyes.

"Go on." Lyra said venomously.

"I have to-" Buzz whipped around at her. "Why can't you see that they need me?" He snapped back at her while the alarms from the bridge were going off behind him and the wounded people continued to scream.

"I needed you!" She jumped up slamming her cup down. Lyra's short blond hair was pushed out of her brown eyes with a swipe of her hand, and she crossed her arms. She was beautiful but there was something missing in her gaze. Something not welcoming. '**Love thats what was missing there' .**That's how he felt later on, '**not welcome. She doesn't want me here. '**

" Why are you doing this?" Buzz said softly. "Why does it always have to be you or my Crew? These are my guys, my family. Why make me choose?"

She grabbed the cup off the table and threw it at him. Oh yes she was known for this behavior sometimes. The throwing of things when her words could not convey the anger or hurt she was feeling.

" Because it's supposed to be US. As in You and Me. but its not you cant get away from that!" she pointed behind Buzz but the men were gone, the bridge was gone with all its screaming alarms and blood and broken bones. It was just the rest of the Home. the home Buzz had paid for and never really stayed in for more than a few months. But there were pictures on the other side of the wall . That's what Lyra was pointing to. To a photo of Buzz in a uniform beside the rest of the Men and Women who had graduated With him that year of flight school.

"That's all i have."

"Well you could have had more. But now look at what you got. Nothing." Lyra sneared coldly. Buzz looked around again back at her. But she was gone and the more he looked more and more of the furniture and items were gone from the home around him. Yet her voice stayed with him.

He heard echoes of their many arguments at the end of their relationship. Yah sure , he could have salvaged it at some point but it was too late now. He had put all of himself into his work and there was not much left for her. For his wife , yes they were still married.

" What do you want Buzz?" Lyras voice was distant and soft. She spoke from the depths of his mind as he was left there in their old home alone.

"I thought I wanted you."

"But what do you want? What makes you happy?"

The question rattled him , though Buzz did not show it outwardly. He stayed standing still letting his heart beat fast in his chest. He felt sick, the academy he spent years at did not train him to know that answer. It had taught him courage, and brotherhood. It taught him how to be a man, how to stand up and lead and take pride in himself. How to take care of others and himself.

But what made him happy?

"I - i don't know."

"Poor poor Buzz." Lyras voice was distant. "You don't even know who you are outside of that?"

Buzz looked down and his clothing had changed. He was no longer in his flight suit. He was in regular clothes . they felt wrong he felt out of place and he instinctively turned to a mirror that was fixed to the wall by the door. He caught his reflection across the room. Suddenly he was in a pair of pants that were just as casual as his shirt. They were similar to something he would have worn to bed when he was off work. They made him uneasy, he flexed his hands into fists. Relaxing them and tightening them and he bit his lip. He looked himself over. The once proud Military man with a long career history could hardly recognize himself and shifted his weight uneasily.

" this is what happens after you go home, and you can't run away anymore. This is all thats left. That's all you are going to be one day. This is all that you are now. You can't run anymore Buzz… what were you running from anyhow? What made you so scared?" Lyra whispered almost sympathetically.

Buzz was confused. **How can that be? ** He was fixated on his own reflection trying to make sense of it , trying to recognize himself in vain.

"Because this is all that's left when its just you. Do you even know who you are ?"

His head was swimming with thoughts. Buzz tried to answer but could not.

"Watch out for the circling birds , take care of the man who wears the star."

"What?" Buzz blinked his eyes and was looking for Lyra though she was already gone , just a voice inside his head.

"You still have work to do Buzz , this is goodbye, when you see fire ,it will be up to you to decide if you want to face yourself , or keep on running. Bye Buzz."

Buzz let the voice fade from him. All he could hear was his own breathing.

Slow deep breaths in , and out. And soft beeping.

'**Beeping?' **

Beep - beep- beep-

His eyes flickered again. '**daylight. Daylight? Am i planet side?' ** Buzz could not move. He felt a bit weightless. He was not in his seat any longer. That is to say he was not at his control panel . He had been right though , he was in a tomb of sorts . in a Cyro chamber. '**How long have I been out?' **he was slow moving, slow thinking. He went to look at his wrist , but the gell he was suspended in was not wholly clear it morphed the image he took in from his eyes. Slowly he lifted his arm to his face . He noticed the emergency bot had placed him in the cyro. A round gell filled tomb like capsule. It served as an infirmary and each ship had two of them one for each crew member aboard. Curious alerts were blinking on his wrist screen. Words like ' Urgent' and 'unknown', also 'signal failure' , 'disconnected' flashed rhythmically. '**Where am i?' ** Buzz looked for the place where 'time and date ' were displayed on his screen and saw that it was 'loading'. '**Loading?' **

He breathed from the tube and mask that the bots had placed on his face. Slowly he moved his hand towards a panel in front of him . there was a place for him to see his own vitals . his eyes slowly adjusted to the light coming through the monitoring portal in the cyro chamber and they focused on the screen his vitals were fine but lights flickered on the panel "low power"

' **Where am i? I need to get out.' ** Buzz was becoming more and more awake. He pressed his palm on the panel and it flashed "opening" soft beeps changed their Rhythm and he felt the gel being released. He waited till it had expelled itself from a great on the floor, and gravity started to hit him. He was leaning against his side of the cyro chamber, the hatch released with a hiss. And he pushed. It would not give. Buzz gave it a kick. And the latch popped open wide. Giving an unwanted blast of hot air. He took in a deep breath of clean oxygen and held his breath. In one movement he clicked his helmet and pulled the mask off his face. Just as he was taught so many years ago in his basic training. It was all coming back to him now. Emergency protocol .

' **Protocal stick to protocall.' **The Captain lifted himself, his arms weak from the time he spent in status. He must have stayed in the cyro for some time.

His voice was weak from not being in use.

"Damage report ...Jessie?" the computer at his wrist was not functioning. Jessy was not coming in. He had to look manually at his wrist. No he was fine but he had no idea where he was. He typed in location and he could not believe his eyes. "Earth". No one had heard of that planet in centuries , millenia. They had said that planet was the birthplace of humanity. But how was that possible ?

He made his way into the open space outside of the Cyro. There were just vast expanses . almost ,as they called it , a 'martian' atmosphere. That was another term for dry and arid . Like another ancient colony world. Was the air around him feasible for life? He checked his wrist computer - it told him levels were normal for life. But he kept his helmet on. The computer when functioning at its low battery setting was just a bare-bones personal computer that could do a few diagnostic scans, fire a laser , life form radar among some other basic functions.

"This is Buzz lightyear of Star Command- com in-" Buzz activated his emergency button on his wrist . But the signal showed that "no receiving coms" were anywhere near him. In Fact when he tried to see if there were any coms activated anywhere, he just became more confused.

Dead space . no vessels , no ' civilizations' as in nothing powered by modern technology came up on his computer. He was a single red dot on the map on his com, no matter how much he zoomed out.

Buzz looked away from his screen and checked the side of his cyro capsule . There was a back pack stored in the side compartment and a few emergency supplies.

He put the pack on and a belt that was stored in there as well.

Then he scanned the landscape again.

'**How can this be earth? Earth was mostly water? Maybe they got that wrong? Maybe it was mostly martian looking?'** The red sand at his feet was curious and he trusted the air around him less and less. Sthe good thing was his gear ran off solar rays. As long as the sun was shining-

Buzz looked up - there was significant cloud cover. Then he noticed something - flying creatures. Birds? In the ancient sense yes. Flying ,winged, feathered , creatures.

**Circling birds …** The space captain was reminded of his dream. Maybe there was something to it. He could just remember the dream he had faintly.

"Computer - set course for the circling life forms." looking back he looked at the Cyro chamber. It had some sense of safety to it and he was walking away from it. It was like he was leaving a part of him , a part of his ship - probably burned up in the atmosphere or blown apart by its travel through space. That tomb was all that was left . He stilled his panicked heart and forced himself to turn from it . Buzz tapped on his wrist computer marking the spot where his cyro capsule was so he would know where to walk back to.

But his eyes turned towards the birds. Something was telling him he needed to see why they were circling.


	7. Chapter 7

Woody watched from beyond the crowd at the train platform. Dust rose up on a stray wind now and then. It was interesting to him to watch the train stop at their town as it so rarely did stop in town. Woody could not fault the childlike wonder of Rex as the tall man began to spout off unsolicited knowledge about trains. Much of which Woody listened to politely. A man did exit the train. But he was no Marshal, on an account he did not wear a side peace. Every marshal wore one . This man would be at a bit of a disadvantage if he had to go toe to toe with a criminal as He was shorter than most and he had round thick glasses.

"Oh no." Woody picked up right away that this man was not who they were expecting.

"What is it Woody?" Rex stopped chatting about locomotive engines.

"I dont think thats what we needed." Woody looked to his Father who was shaking his head at Slink. "That's not the muscle we needed."

"How do you know?" Rex was shifting to get a look at the man who got on the platform. Hoping to stay optimistic. The train started to 'chug chug ', its wheels as it started moving away. When the train did, a big plume of smoke rose from the black of the smoke spewing monster and it slowly made its way noisily out of town.

" He's not carrying one of these-" Woody's hand went to his belt , where he kept his side piece. "And he's carrying a briefcase."

"Oh-" Rex said softly but nervously.

"Hello i'm a Judge Verm i'm looking for Sheriff Robertson-"

A groan came from the crowd and some of the people dispersed. They were expecting a law man but not THAT kind of lawman.

"Thats me !" Sheriff Robertson came forward nervously. He cleared his throat as he moved past some of the crowd. Excusing himself as he bumped into the odd onlooker.

"Well i'm here to do a review of your town here, seems like many complaints have come through and it seems like this town-" the Judge looked around disapprovingly at the buildings. " If I can call it that, has not had a review of the law enforcement in quite some time, if ever. I will be dealing with this personally. Also there is an election coming up for this country. I'm sure you are well aware-" Judge Verm grimaced at the obviously underprepared sheriff who gave him a great confused look that upset him deeply.

Slink elbowed Matthew Pride lightly and smiled. There was a reason to smile, as sweat beaded on Sheriff Robertson's face. He was under investigation and the two men knew it . It seems like the years of being light on justice and the casualties that came from that had finally taken its toll. No , this was no gunslinger. But this could be the man who finally Fixed the Justice system in the town of Pine-Box .

"Direct me to your town hall, or what-have-you- so i may start my investigation." the Judge practically tossed his very heavy briefcase into the hands of the Sheriff who almost fell off the platform as the weight of the luggage made him lose balance. The judge was a hard boiled sort of man and looked through his glasses in a piercing sort of way. He glared at people as if they stood before him in front of his Bench waiting for their own judgements he was about to make upon them. This made him seem very much taller then he was in his grey and black suit.

Slink looked amused up on the platform as the Judge and the Sheriff descended. They made their way off to the office a few houses or store fronts down the main, and only road through town.

"Looks like that Judge may put a Snake in that mans boot , get him- a runnin, maybe Do someth'n about this damn circus this town has become."

"I think you may be right.'' Matthew took a deep sigh. The two friends made their way to the general store front where Woody and Rex had been waiting for them a few sacks at their feet from the provisions bought.

" I can't shake what has happened to that little redhead Slink, she's been done so wrong, i keep thinking - that if that was my Boy… Woody. If he lost me-"

Slink put his eyes on his boots in deep thought taking in what his friend was saying.

" I think they may have killed has something to do with that rumor about him holding onto some gold. You know back from his min'ig days. "

"But that's just hear-say."

"What happens if it isnt Slink. Thats the Young ladies Inheritance, thats all shes got other then that land and some half breed heffers. "

"So what are we going to do about it ? "

"I an't sure , but if we can do something about it. We will."

Matthew was dead serious , one thing he stood for was justice and he would be damned if he was going to be complacent while the whole town dissolved into lawlessness.

The men went quiet as they came into earshot of the young men.

"Lets head home-" Instructed Woodies dad. The men picked up the supplies divided evenly into their arms and walked over to the waggon.

"Got everything we needed?" Mr pride asked the young men.

"Y-yah we think so" Rex said, flopping the bag of flour from his arms into the back of the cart and crawling up after Woody.

"What happened?" Mr. Pride the younger sat in the back bench of the waggon as they were about ready to take off on the trail again.

"We got a Judge- here to do an investigation it seems, here to put a little fire under " Slink laughed wholeheartedly.

"Yah? What's that going to do?" Woody said darkly.

The two friends at the front of the waggon gave a look over at one another before Mr. pride addressed his son.

" Hopefully what the law is supposed to do- justice."

" -and what if that just aint' the case -" Rex looked over at Woody anxiously afraid of another outburst from Mr. Pride senior.

"Well then we will find someone who will." Woody was a bit surprized at his Pa's slight change of stance about the whole situation. In truth his Father's heart was being Melted by the Mackenzie woman, he was starting to feel paternal towards her as he felt for Rex and his own son.

"What about you did y-ah boys send the letter?" Slink looked back at the boys curiously.

"Y-yah…" Rex Said wringing his hands.

Woody looked softly at the nervous thin , tall boy and looked back at Woody, eyebrows knit. Slink looked back and forth between the two boys , sensing something was up.

"Mhm...Good." Slink said slowly before giving his own telling look over to Matthew, and the men were off , back towards home trying to make it back before the sun set.


	8. Chapter 8

The Sun was hot, extremely so. His Suit that regulated temperature was on the fritz. The suit that was supposed to cool or heat him periodically turns on and off.

"Frakn thing." Buzz whispered as a bead of sweat fell into his eyes. The power battery on his back was running low . it could be recharged at a charging station on any spaceship but as none of that was available to him it had to run off of solar energy. It was getting just enough juice from the sunstar above him to work his in suit temperature regulator, the personal computer running on it's lowest function and air purifier.

The lights on his personal computer dimly flashed and he checked it every few minutes to see if he was getting any closer to the crash. There were no satellites circling this planet so he could not use a gps in the traditional sense . But the computer was mapping out the area around him and he was able to pick up on an interesting signal far off in the distance. All the computer could do was tell the Captain how far away he could be from what looked like to be a distress signal.

**How did I even get here? ** He asked himself , it was less of a question of "how" and more of a sympathetic plea. He knew how he got there , he was more so asking ' why me?'

The visions of his fever dream had been following him all throughout his walk. He was use to being surrounded by the dull noise of beeping machines and voices. He missed his crew already and he even longed to call Jessie his personal AI . but her voice would not answer him. His computer must be so damaged that it was barely functioning.

**Earth .. how can I be on earth? **Buzz looked down at the controls at his wrist after he climbed a particular large hill of dirt and rocks. He pressed his com on his neck that connected him with the computer's functions.

"Planetary quardinance." The screen blinked dotted lines next to the text 'planet location'

'Earth?'

"EARTH?" Buzz yelled out in disbelief he clenched his fist and had an urge to hit his ' P.C'. he could feel his heart thumping in his chest. There was a screen being projected inside of his helmet , and on it a section of numbers slowly climbing turned from barely visible to red. It was a monitor for his breathing. He was having a mild panic attack.

"Everythings ok , everythings ok." The captain was well trained and he forced himself to breathe.

"Im ok , im alive. Im going to get back home." He let out a long breath. The numbers that monitored the beats of his heart started to go down, and went back to a semi translucent off white.

Buzz looked around the landscape but there was not much to look at . it reminded him of some planets he had been on, on previous missions. But those planets tended not to have the atrophere to support life. If his wrist pc was not fully functioning then he could not trust that the atmosphere was not completely safe. If he took off his helmet he could risk being poisoned.

The captain looked around him and then pulled up the map he had on his wrist to his helmet viewer. There were only a few more hours of walking to go. Buzz thought about how he ran out of drinkable liquid an hour or so ago. His mind threatened to go to a dark place but he pulled himself back from that and made his legs take steps. The sun was starting to go down when he reached a low even plane of sand. In the dusky light he saw a pile of scrap metal.

"Scrappers…" Lightyear marveled. There were three escape pods, lying empty. Their footprints trailed off into the sands before him. Like three snakes of endless size disappearing towards the horizon.

"Fraken scrappers…" Lightyear made a pact to himself he was going to get these men. They were directly responsible for him landing on some hal hole planet , and he would collect them before he made it back to his crew. His eyes scanned over the wreckage. It looked to be functioning somewhat.

"Scan." The man in the flight suit extended his arm and a horizontal light shot out of his wrist and swept over the scrap metal heap looking ' emergency life pods'.

The scan came back as functional onboard computers the only damage sustained was during the flight.

"Ok let's see where we really are."

Buzz looked at the onboard computer and found a port beside a screen. He extended a cord from his belt and plugged it into the computer's port , from there he could access the main computer of the ship. There was a moment where the screen on his wrist was bringing up the main functions of the Emergency life pods.

"Listni-g-" a broken sounding AI voice sounded in his headset. It must have belonged to the com on the Scrappers ship.

"Planetary identification - where did we land." Buzz felt confident that there was a way off of this planet now that he would know where he was really. The computer took a strangely long time to get back to him. The audio sounded off in his helmet but it was not what he wanted to hear.

" planet 3 from Sun star , from what I could gather from stellar configurations before planetary entrance - we are on a planet once c-called Earth. "

"W-what.." the lights inside his helmet started to climb again , they started to turn red.

"We are no longer in year '530- colony year 65' we are in theory … back in time."

'**Now look at what you got.. Nothing' ** lyras voice was in his head and her cruel laughing became the alarms in his ears.

He was going to throw up. Buzz stumbled back and the cord that connected him to the scrappers emergency life pod computer gave way. It wizzed back into its hiding spot on his utility belt. The numbers on his helmet flashed about the oxygen levels in his blood and his heart rate. But he could not take all the information in at that time and his eyes moved past the warning lights all together. Buzz's eyes were focused on the desert around him. He was a senior Captain with numerous extremely dangerous missions under his belt .But now there was no army. **There was ; no space command ,there was no one to call ,no backup, there was only him now. **

The last thing that Buzz saw was the earth coming to meet him. He fell over himself and the stars that were now coming out of the veil of the day time sky were beginning to shine. It would have been a beautiful sight. But the Captain lay on the floor of a wasteland , as his vital levels sounded. Their chime like warnings tried to get his attention, but his ears were def to the songs of alarms . He was somewhere far far away.


	9. Chapter 9

"There you are lil' miss i thought you got lost!" A soft motherly coo ushered out of the head cook as the woman went to greet Jessie at the door.

"N-no mam. The horses are in the corral. I'll be fixing to start working on them in the morning."

Jessie afforded herself to look up at Daisy Cavendish. She had honey eyes and full cheeks and soft skin. Her beauty radiates from her heart and Jessie could see how a lady like would have been best friends with this kind hearted soul.

"T'sk t'sk" The head cook shook her head at the state of Jesse's clothing. The Redheaded cowgirl looked down at her dirty jeans , her dust covered yellow plaid shirt. This made the cowgirl self conscious and her eyes fell down to the floor. "Lets see if we can fix you up with some new clothes , now, Where is that man? - MR. ED!" The cook took Jessie's hat and put it at the hat rack at the kitchen door.

"Come'now child." the kitchen woman opened up her arms to her and ushered her forward. As Jessie met her , the woman took a cloth and wiped down her face with a damp tea towel. "There she is-"

"I..i caught all of them , the horses, I mean mam -" Jessie met her honey eyes with her own emerald ones.

" Yes child. I have no doubt you did a good job."

"What happened? You are Filthy!" Edmonds eyes widened as he entered the kitchen. The shock of seeing a girl so covered in soil took him aback.

"ED!" The kindness in Dasiy's eyes drained into the protectiveness of a mother bear. And Jessie looked down at the floor again. "Can you please help this lady up to her room and show her to her new cloths ?"

"Excuse me mis-" Edmond bowed to Jessie truly hurt , that he could have been misconstrued as rude. He held a handkerchief from his pocket of his jacket and used it to cover his hand as he took her by the elbow gently. "I didn't mean to be brash please excuse me, i will show you to the bathing room and to your new cloths.'' The barn hand looking woman was whisked away up the steps of the Pride family home to the bathing room and to her new clothes.

As they ascended the stairs the men came back from the ride into town.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Miss Daisy stated loudly looking at the dust covered men that trailed into her kitchen.

"Between you and your little helper how is it th'at me an- Eddy ar' expected t' keep this place clean?" She said in her sweet southern accent. Slink shrugged under the weight of a flour sack and Mr. Pride planted a kiss on her cheek before she swatted him away.

"How was town boys? You get ready for supper-yhear?" Daisy was addressing the two younger boys , Woody and Rex as they hurried off to get themselves washed up out back after dropping off their shopping in the kitchen. It was all things they needed and used daily , like flour and cake yeast , some sugar, maybe some salt or a small bag of hard candy. The head cook looked over these as if they were gifts and her eyes lit up.

"Ooo-oooo Honey!" In Daisy's voice was the eloquence of a royal born lady. Her voice poured like molasses. The cook stood in front of the bags from the store as she turned away from Jessie.

"Have you ever had a Hush puppy darling?"

"No mam'" Jessie looked over to the smiling woman with a small smile.

"You go and get dressed and -"

"Jessie!" Rex came into the room in a hurry , Woody after him. The two older men ;Slink and Mr. Pride looked up. "- It's the horses." Jessie's face grew pale.

Woody came back in following the sound of Rex's alarming voice and spoke for the taller man.

"They are all gone- they escaped-" Woody put his hands on his belt and looked breathless.

"I got them-" Jessie Whistled loudly and bullseye answered her call with a whinny. He was at the back door of the kitchen pearing in. Jessie grabbed her hat off the hat stand and looked over to mr Pride with sorry felt like she was personally responsible and her heart broke. She felt she above all others needed to make this wrong right. The faulty corral boards were not her fault but she felt it weighed on her. Her eyes welled with tears

"I'm terribly sorry Sir ill get them back somehow."

Mr. Pride nodded and sat down at his spot at the dinner table in his chair.

"We know you will little miss -"Slink winked at her, before he too sat at the table.

Jessie ,Woody and Rex walked out to the stables and the redhead on her horse. She turned her steed in a circle around the boys,Bullseye was ready to ride again.

"Rex...Did you get any word from town about my brother and Ian?" Her horse pranced under her impatiently.

Rex froze and looked over at Woody , he did not say anything but muttered.

"Well,well, ummm-" Rex Looked up at Jessie and then to Woody pleading for him to rescue him.

Woody gave a hard gulp and looked at Rex with worried eyes that said 'dont tell'.

"No Jessie , we did not hear any news ." Woody felt sick , this went against every code he kept close to his heart. They did not lie to friends. Jessie deserved the truth but what would it do to her? She was just getting better. He could see hope return to her eyes. Before it was vacant , nothing lived there in her green eyes. Now there was hope, like the first seeds sprouting in spring. And he did not have the heart to crush them. **How much can a person take before they break? No he could not tell her not just yet.**

Jessie looked back at Rex but he did not meet her gaze and looked at the ground.

"Thank you. I mean it." Jessie nodded her head respectfully. "I'll get'em ' back, I promise!"- and with that she blew forward on the fastest horse the boys had seen.

Rex looked over his shoulder at the woman whose dust cloud was catching in the moon light. The clouds on the horizon flickered with lightning. A storm was coming in fast. He felt awful.

"W-Woody… we should not have done that." Rex said softly, turning his eyes to his lifelong friend.

"I know Rex." Woody looked over at the tall man with sad eyes.

"You know I don't well want to hurt her … what happens if they are…"

He did not want to say 'Dead' and Woody did not want to hear it.

"We will tell her Rex, she's just been through alot. She needs time like Pa said"

"Yah..it just makes me feel so ," He rubbed his stomach, "just plum awful."

"Woody nodded his head; he knew exactly what his boyhood buddy was talking about. He was feeling it too. He hoped he would not have tell her right away, not for a little while.

"It's just until we know for sure. They may be ok."

Rex looked to Woody hopefully as the thin Cowboy in a black and white cattleman vest got on his horse. "Comeon , we have horses to find-"

Rex heaved himself up onto a nervous looking mare that matched his own nature.

"Yah if she has not found them already! She could be in timbuktu by now!"

The two men laughed into the night as the clouds rolled closer. It was true she had completely disappeared.

Slink looked out the window at the younger folk leaving into the night.

"- hmmm."

"What is it ?" Mathew looked up from his coffee

"Nothin." Slink walked away from the window, and the approaching lightning flickered in the storm.

"They better be quick."

Mathew pride did not look up again but he felt the same as Slink. He was worried about the three 'kids' out in the night with some foul weather approaching.

"Grit builds character." He mumbled as he took his eyes away from the window trying not to allude to his true nature .

A man lay on the floor of a dry river bed. He had not moved in hours succumbing to heat exhaustion. Buzzards that had once circled now sat near him. They hopped closer awkwardly squawking at each other. The lightning shot out of angry clouds that came from upriver. Dark desert night turned inky and somehow got darker. The flashes in the sky caught the black eyes of the carrion birds who came closer. Their beaks hovered over the man and one even chanced at picking at the sleeping man's leg. Just then there was a trickle of water rushing forward, it ran under the birds legs and then faster past the boy on the desert floor. It kept going , onward, down river, then it was joined by another. The sky was still dry but somewhere up the dry creek bed torrential rain was pounding the ground.

There was a churning sound and the birds clued in looking behind them to where the clouds had formed in the distance. A swell of water sprang from the darkness and the birds flapped their long awkward wings frantically. They rose up just in time , but the man was still asleep. The protective helmet kept the water out. But his body was dragged away by the sudden river that formed and grew and grew. All manner of things were carried away by the black dragon that swept the desert floor.

The rain was coming down in sheets and they could barely hear the sounds of the horses thundering hooves over the drumming of rain on their hats. The men and the red haired girl were soaked, the rain was cool but their bodies were on fire from running their horses so hard.

The hills around them were drenched in inky blackness.

Jessie's eyes scanned the hills in vain. **They must have gone to higher ground. ** She looked over her shoulder and stopped Bullseye as she created a ridge of a hill that over looked the valley. Woody and Rex reigned their horses in to a stop.

"I can't see anything!" Rex yelled

Water was pouring off of Woody's hat and his teeth glinted in the darkness as he squinted the rain out of his eyes and then screamed over to the red headed girl.

"The rain washed out their tracks ! It's a hard rain it's going to start overflowing the riveens !"

"W-What now?" Rex looked just as uneasy as his horse.

"We got t' split up!" Jessie's horse was pacing back and forth and moving in half circles , impatiently. Their horses were sucking in hair though large nostress, panting though the torrential rain drops.

"NO i dont think thats a good ide-" Rex looked over at Woody.

"WE-" Woody looked at the thin boy on the pale gelding. "-we will be just fine!"

"Yah!" As soon as Woody's words left his lips Bullseye was reared up and leapt into the open space over the ridge. She disappeared over the hill and into the valley below at a full gallop.

"Come-ON! YaHH!" Woody led his horses head to the opposite direction going up river of the rivean opposed to the direction jessie was going, heading full speed to the lowlands.

Rex Held his hat to his head, squishing it to his scalp as he urged his horse to keep up with Woody. He was in yelling distance as the rain pelted them hard in the face. He tried to scream over the storm raging around them.

"Woody! The way she's going! Its going to be nothin but rapids soon ! We should go ba-"

"We got to get these horses Rex! We will circle back that way in a bit ! The faster we check these highlands the faster we can get back to her !" and with that the horses under them were filled with a new wind and they bravely shot into the darkness of the storm. Spiderwebs of lightning shattering across the sky illuminating the valleys for moments. The two riders disappeared into the hills.

"Take me to them Bullseye! " and the horse under her whinnied in response. They rode out for an untolled amount of time. In the dark time can be a thing that is hard to judge. The river beside her was once a dry river bed but it was growing and swelling. Soon the path she was riding on would be covered in raging waters.

She caught something in the flash of lightning.

"Woah ! " She yelled over the roll of lightning and bullseye skidded to a stop. She wheeled the front of the horse around and he paced again in half moons. Squinting she looked into the middle of the rolling rapids.

"What in tarnation…" the Drenched rider spoke softly. Then the lightning flashed again and in its light showed what looked like a pile of brush and against it pinned by the water was the arms of a man just keeping his head above water. It was inclosed in some sort of ball.

"HEY! YOU!"

He did not move and she did not think it was for lack of hearing her. He looked lifeless.

"Bullseye ! There is a man in there! We have to get him out!" Bullseye whinnied in fear. She grabbed the rope that had been over her pommel of her saddle and wrapped it around her waist and then again on the saddle.

"You got to give me a lift boy!" And taking off her hat she stood up on the back of the horse.

The horse paced and shook his head in protest clearly worried.

"Comeon boy! We have to get him out of there-" and the horse bucked … hard.

They might have practiced this move just a few times,But never in a pool of water.

Jessie was launched high in the air as she pushed against the horse's buck and it lifted her into the air over the head of bullseye. Her arms wobbled in the air before she put her arms together only catching the water in the chest in a dive a little better than a belly flop.

But it did the trick . she was in the river , and better yet she was up river of the man. She could hardly see him as she struggled in the water. Lightning flashed and the thunder sounded immediately the storm was above them.

"MISTER!" no use, he looked limp.

She was slammed into the brush beside the man. His head was cast in shadow looking down under the man's lifeless looking arm. His sleeping face peaceful in the globe that covered him

"What in TArnation are you doing out here ?! You think you are a fish or something?!" The brush pile was swaying; it would not hold in this current.

"Come-...Here!" She reached out and grabbed his arm then his shoulder. His eyes were closed and she took the rope around her waist and put it over the river man's head and arm. They were secure.

"BULLSEYE! NOW!" Jessie waved wildly at the horse on the bank and he started backing up slowly .

"GEt us out of here !" She held onto the rope and put her arm under the man's shoulder . The lightning struck again and the brush pile was hit with a fallen tree that had swiftly come down the river. They would have been crushed and drown if the rope around them did not jerk them towards the rivers edge..

In the light Jessie looked up over the ridge , she saw it. The horses whinnying in fear of the storm. The people attached by the waist by a rope were thrown into the brunt of the current.

Bullseye was slowly pulling them out of the river and he was straining.

"You got this boy!" Jessie's mouth filled with water as she tried to keep the man's head out of the river, and tell her horse to keep moving.

She felt it. Rocks tumbling at her feet hitting her boots in the current. land was just under her and every chance she got she kicked and tried to jump closer to the river.

She was holding the man from the back now his head could not hold its own weight and it rested on her shoulder looking up to the rain clouds . But his body was still warm.

The woman was dragged on her jean bottoms over the rocks.

"Stop! Stop ! Good boy ! You saved us Bullseye!" The horse hurried up and ran to the woman and the man putting his nose protectively on her bare head. The hairs that had escaped her braid were clinging to her face and she tore at the rope at her waist freeing the man and the woman.

"Comeon-comeon!" She placed the man on the rocky ground and started listening to his breathing. He was still breathing! She looked up and saw one of the many trees growing in arms length of the river bed.

One of the trees near her was growing on a slant and she put the rope over a sturdy branch.

"Comeon bullseye we have to get him on your back!" She led the horse back again. The man lifted up and up as the rope still around his waist lifted him clean off the ground.

Jessie tired him off so he was suspended in the air and led the horse under him so the man's belly was touching the saddle.

"Sorry buddy…" and she slipped her knife from its sheath and sliced the rope in one swipe releasing him and stringing him over Bullseye's saddle. She could have been more gentle but she had horses to catch. And in one foul swoop she swung herself behind the saddle and grabbed the reins.

"Works not done yet! Lets Ride!"

And Bullseye looked on to the river , there was a bit of a crossing, fallen trees and rocks from the last rainy season made a sort of bridge and loped towards it.

They crossed the river with speed and mounted the hill on the opposite bank behind the herd of freed horses . the horses turned their noses towards the Pride Ranch and started to move.

"YAUH YAUH YIPIPYAHHH!" Jessie screamed her voice ragged over the storm as it thundered on ferociously. And the herd moved onward with Jessie guiding from behind. Her hand protectively holding onto the man laying in front of her. His body motionless but still warm.


End file.
